Winter Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Cocoa

This past fall, I met a wonderful man who loves chills.  Seriously loves chilis.  I have always felt that too much spice takes over the flavor of the actual food:  the heartiness of a bowl of beans, the creaminess of a dollop of sour cream.  But we finally found a chili recipe that matched my love for seasonal flavor with his penchant for spice.  We slightly altered this recipe from Real Simple by roasting the sweet potatoes first; doing so also cut the cooking time down substantially.   It is Friday night, after all, and we're hungry!

Ingredients:
2 small sweet potatoes, diced and roasted
1 large red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, smashed
olive oil for sautéing
3 15-ounce cans of beans of your choice
1 25-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes

Spices:
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne powder

Begin by dicing and roasting your sweet potatoes.   Chop up your sweet potato into bite-size pieces, and coat them evenly in about a tablespoon of olive oil on your roasting tray, or tin foil, if you don't have a tray.   Roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.    In the meanwhile, dice and chop all your vegetables, and start by sautéing the onions and garlic in a large dutch oven until the mixture is fragrant.   Add your bell  pepper and let it cook for about two minutes; add in the sweet potatoes.   When you are ready, add in the tomatoes, the beans and all the spices.    You are done!   Top with sour creme and green onions.

While we cooked, we snacked on some Mahon cheese and had clementine beer, which we thought was a very nice prelude to the chili.   We also found some quinoa and black bean tortilla chips that we liked with the meal, as well.   Happy January!

Black-Eyed Pea and Cucumber Salad

The Hanrahans have generously given me more garden vegetables, and admittedly, I did not hide my delight! This time, cucumbers. I haven't cited this recipe because it is widely available on several online sites, none that seemed attributable to a specific person. Still, I'm so glad I found it!

Ingredients:

2 15-ounce cans of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 cucumber, coarsely chopped
1/2 a large red onion (because I can never find a "small" red onion!)
cubes of feta cheese (buy the kind in the blocks, not the crumbles!)
kalamata olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of one lemon, if you are determined!)

I don't think I need to say too much about how to "cook" this salad, as it requires no cooking! But you can serve it chilled or at room temperature, with meat or as a meal. Rest assured, it will be my lunch for the next few days, with a good baguette (or zucchini bread, which is next on my list!).

Fiesta Bowl!

In between summer travels and getting used to cooking two meals per day (oh, the problems that teachers face in summer!), I planned a menu this week that required only a few ingredients, that I could finish before leaving for Bard, and that would, above all, make me happy : ) Two fiesta bowls and few shrimp tacos later... here is the result! The fresh salsa is my favorite part : )

Ingredients:

For the black beans:
black beans
red and yellow onions (to your liking -- I used one half of each)
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin powder
chopped fresh cilantro

For the salsa:
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar (I used sherry vinegar)
cilantro, chopped

Other things that are fun to have around:
an avacado
favorite cheese
shrimp
blue corn chips :)
brown rice (I use small grain)

I think the cooking process for this dish is fairly self-explanatory -- for the salsa, chop and toss! For the black beans, sautee the onion, garlic, cumin and oregano, and add the black beans. I think the combination of condiments makes the fiesta bowl pretty kid-friendly too : )

Chipotle-Inspired Three Bean Chili

I'm set for the week! I am still trying to learn some fun facts about chipotle chilis, but for now, I'll just say that they add a whole lot of flavor to this dish! Serve with cornbread (Whole Foods makes a nice instant-mix!).

Ingredients:

3 8-ounce cans of mixed beans
1 15-ounce can of organic diced tomatoes
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium onions, diced
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chilis)
fraction of a chipotle chili in adobo sauce

Goat Cheese and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

I've already told the story of how sweet potatoes were paired with black beans, at least in my own personal history : ) This time I served them in quesadillas with goat cheese. I made the black beans and the sweet potatoes in the morning, so assembling and baking these was a cinch! (Particularly since I just got a toaster oven!). Serve with salsa and a nice, warming, red wine.

Ingredients:

Black Beans:
3 cans of black beans
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped, including stems

Sweet Potatoes:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Assemble the quesadillas to your liking, and bake at 400 degrees for about six minutes. Goat cheese or gorgonzola don't spread, so just drop a few crumbles directly on your tortillas.

Nashoba Brook #9

The Nashoba Brook Bakery on Columbus Avenue closed down this summer, so here is a post in its honor... my favorite #9 : ) It's a green apple and humus sandwich with grated carrots and dijon mustard. There's really no need for a list of ingredients other than those! The key, of course, is the famous Nashoba Brook bread, which is still widely available in most Massachusetts grocery stores (especially the little ones!). Happy end of summer!

Chickpea Cakes

I had these at a friend's birthday party recently and was encouraged to check out the food blog 101 Cookbooks, an all vegetarian blog that has some terrific recipes! Click on the title of this blog for a link to the recipe!

Garlicy White Beans with Sundried Tomatoes and Sage

The ratio of herbs to beans in this dish surprised me! But the result is a good one, flavorful and rich. Serve with warm bread, olive oil, and cracked black pepper.

5/26 Addendum: Try this salad cold, especially on a warm afternoon or night!

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can of cannelli beans
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
15-20 sage leaves, finely chopped
8-10 sundried tomatoes (dried without oil)
greens for the salad
black pepper to taste
parmesan cheese

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil, followed by the sage and sundried tomatoes. When the onions are translucent, add the white beans. Garnish with black pepper and parmesan.

Warm French Lentils with Fennel and Greens

Even though we are nearing June, Boston is still windy and cold! This dish warmed me from the inside out :) Serve with focaccia and balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients:
1 cup of french lentils
3 cups of water
1 fennel bulb
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
2 tablespoons fennel, fresh
fresh greens (escarole is Molly's suggestion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
chevre for garnishing

While the lentils are boiling, prepare the fennel. Cut the bulb in half, removing the core and slicing the bulb into moon-shaped crecents. Heat the olive oil, and sautee the garlic, ground fennel, and thyme for a few minutes. Add the fresh fennel and sautee until soft. When the lentils are cooked, drain them, and add to the fennel mixture. Add your greens of choice, and serve with cheese and bread.

Black Beans and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Gorgonzola

My mom and I discovered the wonderful compatibility of black beans and sweet potatoes at a cafe in Athens, Georgia, while I was still in college. Roasting the sweet potatoes in this dish brings out their sweetness, and the gorgonzola makes an old favorite feel indulgent!

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown rice
2 cans of black beans
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
one bunch of cilantro, including stems
salt and black pepper to taste
gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Start by roasting the sweet potatoes. In a baking dish, coat the sweet potatoes with salt, olive oil and cumin seeds; roast for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Cook the brown rice. In a separate pot, sautee the onions, garlic and chopped cilantro stems for about six minutes, until onions are translucent. Add black beans, salt and black pepper, and stir thoroughly; cover, and let the beans cook. When the beans are ready, assemble the brown rice, black beans, and sweet potatoes on your dinner plates and garnish with the crumbled gorgonzola and cilantro leaves.

White Bean and Mushroom Ragout with Fuselli

Holding out for spring vegetables, I'm still using canned tomatoes and white beans. Adapted from Molly's "Simple Suppers" collection, this dish is full of surprising flavor.

Ingredients:
1 large onion, white or red, diced
3 garlic gloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (I love these, so I use two teaspoons!)
1 teaspoon rosemary (thyme or sage will also work)
10 ounces cremini mushrooms
1/4 cup of a dry wine, white or red
2 15-ounce cans of white beans (I like canelli)
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped basil or parsley
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan to taste

Sautee the onions and garlic until translucent, then add fennel and rosemary. While the mixture cooks, wash and cut mushrooms into 1/4" slices. Add the mushrooms and wine together, and let the sauce simmer, covered, until mushrooms are nearly cooked. Then, add white beans, tomatoes, and basil, and bring the sauce to a quick boil before letting it simmer once again. Serve over pasta, cous-cous, or any other favorite grain. Garnish with parmesan.